How to Play Esika, God of the Tree in Commander

Bracket 4 · Our Esika decklist · Legends Matter

Our Esika list is five-color legends: Gods, legendary creatures and planeswalkers. Esika turns every legendary creature into a mana dork with vigilance, and her back face, The Prismatic Bridge, puts a free creature or planeswalker onto the battlefield every upkeep.

The deck ramps hard, fills the board with indestructible Theros Gods and powerful walkers, and uses one-sided tools like Urza's Ruinous Blast and Primevals' Glorious Rebirth that reward an all-legend deck.

Strategy
Legends Matter
Bracket
4
Avg. mana value
3.78
Lands
36
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01The Commander

Esika, God of the Tree is a three-mana 1/4 with vigilance that taps for any color. Every other legendary creature you control gains vigilance and taps for any color too.

That makes each legend you cast a mana source, so the deck accelerates into its big Gods and walkers. Vigilance means your legends can attack and still tap for mana afterward.

Esika's other face is The Prismatic Bridge. Cast it for five colors and every upkeep it reveals cards until a creature or planeswalker, and puts it onto the battlefield free. With Paradox Haze it does that twice a turn.

02How This Deck Wins

  1. 1

    Ramp with legends

    Esika makes every legend a mana dork. Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender and land ramp get you to five colors fast.

  2. 2

    Build an indestructible board

    Theros Gods like Purphoros, God of the Forge and Karametra, God of Harvests are indestructible, and Avacyn, Angel of Hope makes everything else indestructible too.

  3. 3

    Win with walkers or the Bridge

    The Prismatic Bridge cheats in a threat every turn, while Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Jodah, the Unifier take over.

03Deck at a Glance

Bracket 4 · Legends Matter · 100 cards

Composition

  • Commander1
  • Creatures23
  • Instants & sorceries17
  • Artifacts & enchantments16
  • Planeswalkers7
  • Lands36
  • Tokens3

Mana Curve

00
51
122
123
144
115
46
57+

Color Split

100colored
symbols
  • White 26%
  • Blue 20%
  • Black 14%
  • Red 8%
  • Green 32%

By the Numbers

3.78avg. mana value
36lands (9 basic)
4Game Changers
3token types included

Cards by Role

Legendary Value Engines9
Theros Gods9
Planeswalkers12
Big Legends6
Mana and Card Draw18
Interaction11

04Legendary Value Engines

Legends that find, cheat in or reward more legends.

Jodah, the UnifierLegends get +X/+X for each legend you control, and every legend cast from hand cascades into another legend.
The Prismatic BridgeA free creature or planeswalker every upkeep. It is the strongest engine in the deck.
Kolvori, God of KinshipDigs six cards deep for a legendary creature, and becomes a 6/6 with three legends out.
Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainGrows with each color among your legends and tutors legendary permanents straight onto the battlefield.
Primevals' Glorious RebirthReturns every legendary permanent from your graveyard after a wipe.

Also in this role

Carth the Lion
Paradox Haze
The Ringhart Crest
Delighted Halfling

05Theros Gods

Indestructible enchantments that become creatures with enough devotion. Each one is legendary, so Esika lets it tap for mana once it is a creature.

Purphoros, God of the ForgeTwo damage to each opponent whenever another creature enters.
Karametra, God of HarvestsRamps a land onto the battlefield whenever you cast a creature.
Mogis, God of SlaughterOpponents take two damage each upkeep unless they sacrifice a creature.
Xenagos, God of RevelsDoubles a creature's power and gives it haste each combat.
Nylea, Keen-EyedMakes creature spells cheaper and digs creatures off the top.

Also in this role

Heliod, God of the Sun
Iroas, God of Victory
Kruphix, God of Horizons
Nylea, God of the Hunt

06Planeswalkers

Big walkers backed by loyalty engines.

Nicol Bolas, Dragon-GodHas every loyalty ability of every other planeswalker in play, plus card draw and removal of its own.
Ugin, the Spirit DragonExiles every colored permanent of a chosen mana value or less. Your colorless artifacts survive.
Elspeth, Sun's ChampionThree tokens a turn, or a wipe of every big creature.
Teferi, Temporal ArchmageUntaps four permanents, and with The Chain Veil it loops loyalty activations.
Nicol Bolas, God-PharaohSteals cards from opponents' libraries and deals seven damage.

Also in this role

Tamiyo, Field Researcher
Vraska, Betrayal's Sting
The Chain Veil
Ichormoon Gauntlet
Oath of Teferi
Doubling Season
Deepglow Skate

07Big Legends

Finishers that end the game once the mana is there.

Avacyn, Angel of HopeMakes every other permanent you control indestructible.
Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceProliferates every end step to grow your walkers' loyalty.
Vorinclex, Monstrous RaiderDoubles every counter you put, including loyalty. Each walker enters with twice its starting loyalty.
Sphinx of the Second SunAn extra untap, upkeep and draw every turn. The Prismatic Bridge triggers again.

Also in this role

Faeburrow Elder
Dryad of the Ilysian Grove

08Mana and Card Draw

Five colors need fixing. These make every land and creature a rainbow source.

Leyline of the GuildpactStart the game with it out: your lands become every basic type and every permanent is every color.
Bloom TenderTaps for every color among your permanents, often five.
Chromatic LanternEvery land taps for any color.
Rhystic StudyDraws whenever opponents don't pay one.
Smothering TitheTreasure whenever opponents draw and don't pay two.

Also in this role

Birds of Paradise
Sol Ring
Arcane Signet
Fellwar Stone
Commander's Sphere
Timeless Lotus
Rampant Growth
Nature's Lore
Three Visits
Farseek
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Sterling Grove

09Interaction

Wipes that spare legends and flexible answers.

Urza's Ruinous BlastExiles every nonland permanent that isn't legendary. Almost your whole board is legendary.
Supreme VerdictAn uncounterable wipe. Your Gods survive as indestructible enchantments.
Teferi's ProtectionPhases out your board in response to anything.
Sphere of SafetyOpponents pay per attacker for each enchantment you control.
Assassin's TrophyTwo-mana answer to any permanent.

Also in this role

Anguished Unmaking
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Counterspell
Cyclonic Rift
Heroic Intervention

10Combos and Key Interactions

+

The Prismatic Bridge + Paradox Haze

Two upkeeps a turn means two free creatures or planeswalkers from the Bridge every turn.

+

Teferi, Temporal Archmage + The Chain Veil

Teferi's −1 untaps The Chain Veil and three lands. With one more mana source you loop the Veil and your walkers' abilities.

+

Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Supreme Verdict

Every creature dies except yours: Avacyn makes your permanents indestructible.

11How to Play

Opening hand

Keep hands with two or three lands and green ramp, ideally a mana creature. Esika on turn three ramps everything after. Hands that can't make green early are a mulligan.

1

Early gameturns 1-3

Ramp with Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender or land searches, then cast Esika on turn three.

2

Mid gameturns 4-7

Cast legends and Gods. Every legendary creature taps for mana with Esika out. Get The Prismatic Bridge or a big walker down.

3

Late gameturn 8+

Let the Bridge cheat in threats, wipe non-legends with Urza's Ruinous Blast, and close with Jodah, the Unifier, Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God or Ugin, the Spirit Dragon.

Tips

  • Legends you just cast can't tap for mana until your next turn unless they have haste.
  • Cast The Prismatic Bridge from the command zone as Esika's back face when you need the engine more than the commander.
  • Theros Gods are always indestructible, even as noncreature enchantments.
  • Urza's Ruinous Blast needs a legendary creature or planeswalker, which you nearly always have.

Common mistakes

  • Casting a wipe when Avacyn or the Gods can't protect your board.
  • Forgetting that Esika herself has to be on the battlefield for legends to tap for mana.
  • Taking too long to cast the Bridge.
  • Leaving yourself without blockers against an aggressive table.

Watch out for

  • Exile-based removal that ignores indestructible.
  • Fast combo decks before your engine is online.
  • Legend-rule effects that hit duplicates.
  • Enchantment removal aimed at The Prismatic Bridge.

12Bracket and Rule 0

1Exhibition
2Core
3Upgraded
4Optimized
5cEDH
Bracket4

Our list runs 4 Game Changers (Cyclonic Rift, Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Teferi's Protection). That is more than the Bracket 3 limit of three, so we call it Bracket 4 at the table.

Teferi, Temporal Archmage and The Chain Veil can loop with extra mana, so tell your table before the game.

13Full Decklist

Every card in our Esika proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.

Commander

  • 1Esika, God of the Tree1GG

Creatures (23)

  • 1Birds of ParadiseG
  • 1Delighted HalflingG
  • 1Bloom Tender1G
  • 1Dryad of the Ilysian Grove2G
  • 1Faeburrow Elder1GW
  • 1Sisay, Weatherlight Captain2W
  • 1Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
  • 1Carth the Lion2BG
  • 1Heliod, God of the Sun3W
  • 1Iroas, God of Victory2RW
  • 1Kolvori, God of Kinship2GG
  • 1Mogis, God of Slaughter2BR
  • 1Nylea, God of the Hunt3G
  • 1Nylea, Keen-Eyed3G
  • 1Purphoros, God of the Forge3R
  • 1Deepglow Skate4U
  • 1Jodah, the UnifierWUBRG
  • 1Karametra, God of Harvests3GW
  • 1Kruphix, God of Horizons3GU
  • 1Xenagos, God of Revels3RG
  • 1Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider4GG
  • 1Avacyn, Angel of Hope5WWW
  • 1Sphinx of the Second Sun6UU

Planeswalkers (7)

  • 1Tamiyo, Field Researcher1GWU
  • 1Nicol Bolas, Dragon-GodUBBBR
  • 1Elspeth, Sun's Champion4WW
  • 1Teferi, Temporal Archmage4UU
  • 1Vraska, Betrayal's Sting4BB/P
  • 1Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh4UBR
  • 1Ugin, the Spirit Dragon8

Instants (8)

  • 1Path to ExileW
  • 1Swords to PlowsharesW
  • 1Assassin's TrophyBG
  • 1CounterspellUU
  • 1Cyclonic Rift1U
  • 1Heroic Intervention1G
  • 1Anguished Unmaking1WB
  • 1Teferi's Protection2W

Sorceries (9)

  • 1Farseek1G
  • 1Nature's Lore1G
  • 1Rampant Growth1G
  • 1Three Visits1G
  • 1Cultivate2G
  • 1Kodama's Reach2G
  • 1Supreme Verdict1WWU
  • 1Urza's Ruinous Blast4W
  • 1Primevals' Glorious Rebirth5WB

Artifacts (8)

  • 1Sol Ring1
  • 1Arcane Signet2
  • 1Fellwar Stone2
  • 1Chromatic Lantern3
  • 1Commander's Sphere3
  • 1Ichormoon Gauntlet2U
  • 1The Chain Veil4
  • 1Timeless Lotus5

Enchantments (8)

  • 1Sterling GroveGW
  • 1Paradox Haze2U
  • 1Rhystic Study2U
  • 1Leyline of the GuildpactG/WG/UB/GR/G
  • 1Smothering Tithe3W
  • 1Doubling Season4G
  • 1Oath of Teferi3WU
  • 1Sphere of Safety4W

Lands (36)

  • 1Arid Mesa
  • 1Blood Crypt
  • 1Breeding Pool
  • 1Command Tower
  • 1Exotic Orchard
  • 1Flooded Strand
  • 2Forest
  • 1Godless Shrine
  • 1Hallowed Fountain
  • 1Indatha Triome
  • 2Island
  • 1Ketria Triome
  • 1Marsh Flats
  • 1Misty Rainforest
  • 1Mountain
  • 1Overgrown Tomb
  • 1Path of Ancestry
  • 2Plains
  • 1Polluted Delta
  • 1Sacred Foundry
  • 1Scalding Tarn
  • 1Spara's Headquarters
  • 1Steam Vents
  • 1Stomping Ground
  • 2Swamp
  • 1Temple Garden
  • 1The World Tree
  • 1Verdant Catacombs
  • 1Watery Grave
  • 1Windswept Heath
  • 1Wooded Foothills
  • 1Zagoth Triome
Esika proxy deck cover

Get the deck

Esika Legends Matter proxy deck

Esika turns every legend into ramp and her Bridge into a free threat each turn. Ramp, build an indestructible board, and let the legends take over.

Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.

Shop the deck · $45

Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.